Real Estate Lake of the Ozarks

Construction started on Bagnell dam in 1929 on August 6th and was completed on February 2nd 1931. The resulting reservoir, the Lake of the Ozarks, currently has a surface area of 55,000 acres (223 km), over 1,150 miles (1,850 km) of shoreline (1850 km), and stretches 92 miles (148 km) from Bagnell dam to Truman dam. Lake of the Ozarks was open to the public on May 30th 1931. Originally before Truman dam was constructed Lake of the Ozarks had 1375 miles of shoreline. The dam is a concrete gravity type, 2,543ft long. It consists of a 511ft long power station, 520ft long spillway section and two non-overflow retaining sections next to the river banks. The "Great Osage River Project" is hailed as the most skillful engineering feat of its day and the 215,000 kilowatt capacity power plant currently provides electricity to a large area of the state. At the time of construction Lake of the Ozarks was one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and the largest in the United States. The prime real estate that was created by Bagnell dam encompasses many cities. Several of these city's have no direct access to the lake, yet just the same the value of real estate at Lake of the Ozarks has increased in value since the dam was first created. Although I have not ever seen this in writing I have questioned many people about how much land cost the state or government in preparation for the dam that would be built. I have been told most was bought at 50 cents to a dollar a acre. So here we are about 90 years later and "prime" real estate sells for 500k to in excess of 1 million a acre.

When attending the Camden County Leadership program in 1997 offered by the Camdenton Chamber of Commerce, I also asked questions about why there are area's of Lake of the Ozarks State Park (when going up the main channel by boat) that I see so many privately owned homes or real estate. These are small area's considering the state park has 80 miles of shoreline. It did not make sense to me why individuals could own real estate on the waters edge of Lake of the Ozarks surrounded by state park. It seemed logical to me the State of Missouri at one time or another would have purchased this land. In the 1920's when they were buying land for the lake itself a few property owners wanted to sell ALL their property NOT just part of it. So to make a long story short they were paid for all their property and then given what was not needed for the lake back to them. Many land owners back then where very upset about the state taking their land for the creation of the lake. Some land owners even deeded their property so that the State Park could never own it. So even today if one of these pieces of property should become available for purchase the State cannot bid on it.

Bagnell dam derives its name from Bagnell, Missouri at the dam site and living quarters of the workers which preceded the dam. It in turn Bagnell Missouri derives its name from William Bagnell who platted the town in 1883. The dam is located at 38° 12′ 9″ N, 92° 37′ 35″ W in Miller County, Missouri. According to the United States Geological Survey. Lake of the Ozarks is surrounded by many small city's such as Lake Ozark, Barnett, Brumley, Camdenton, Kaiser, Climax Springs, Eldon, Rocky Mount, Stover, Porto Cima, Roach, Sunrise Beach, Gravois Mills, Tuscumbia, Greenview, Ulman, Versailles, Iberia, Laurie Linn, Macks Creek, Montreal, Osage Beach and Warsaw. By revenue dollars created from taxes Osage Beach is clearly the most popular of these cities, primarily due to its location in relation to major cities as St. Louis and Kansas City. Directions are simple from either city take Interstate 70 to Highway 54 and head to Lake of the Ozarks.

Most of the following section of this web page is reproduced with permission from the State of Missouri Department of Natural Resoruces and Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Po Box 170, 403 HWY 134, Kaiser, MO 65047. This information is an excerpt from Lake Ozark State Park Cultural Resource Plan. I was informed this information is currently not in electronic format.

Lake of the Ozarks State Park offers camping, fishing, hiking, geological formations of interest such as caves, modern amenities such as the Lee C. Fine Airport, that is large enough for smaller commercial or large private jets. Lake of the Ozarks State Park, is the largest state park in the state of Missouri, it currently comprises 17,203 acres. Bisected from the northwest to the southwest by the Grand Glaize arm of Lake of the Ozarks, the park contains more than 80 miles of shoreline. Part of the Ozarks Natural Division of Missouri, Lake of the Ozarks State park has a landscape of rugged, dissected hills, dominated by dry chert woodland and dry mesic chert woodlands. The park is also home to numerous more unusual features, including rocky, open glades and groundwater-fed fens.

Long before the Osage River was dammed to form Lake of the Ozarks, this varied landscape was home first to Native Americans, and later to settlers of European decent. The abundance of wild game found in the area and access to spring-fed streams made this a desirable area to live. Both lightning fires and the wide spread use of fire by Native Americans for thousands of years resulted in a landscape dominated by fire-tolerant plant and animal species, which is being restored today by prescribed burns. The first European settlers probably did little to change their surroundings with small subsistence farms, but by the 1850' logging, farming and suppression of fire were altering the landscape.

By the time the Great Depression, a collapsing farm economy made times difficult for all farmers, particularly those trying to make a living from the thin, rocky soils in this area. In 1933, President Roosevelt proposed a New Deal program that would buy up sub-marginal farmland such as this, and move farmers to better land or other jobs. As part of the National Industrial Recovery Act, some fo the sub-marginal farmland, especially near large population areas, was to be converted to "recreational demonstration areas". These areas were to be developed as parks, with the plan that they would later be conveyed to the state for permanent administration. Although this area was not particularly close to a big city, government planners were focusing on the recreational opportunities afforded by the construction of Bagnell Dam by Union Electric, Lake of the Ozarks Recreational Demonstration Area was planned and administered by the National Park Service (NPS) until it was turned over to the state in 1946.

Although NPS standard and criteria governed the development of Lake of the Ozarks Recreational Demonstration Area, members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) carried out the majority of the construction. Started by Roosevelt in 1933, the CCC provided work for young, single, unemployed men. Between 1934 and 1941, three CCC companies spent a total of sixteen camp periods (of six months each) at Lake of the Ozarks. Members of the CCC Companies 1726, 3746 and 1712 constructed roads, service and administration buildings, a public beach and five organized group camps. Using native stone and timber and following NPS guidelines for rustic architecture, their legacy includes 70 buildings and 80 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake of the Ozarks State Park today is a reflection of its cultural history: The influences of those people who have lived and worked here in the past... The State Park and its resources are just one of many reasons Real Estate at Lake of the Ozarks has become so valuable over the years.